Birthday Questionnaire

1. What is your favorite color? Green (I think Maddox looks so cute in green and his blankie is green)
2. What is your favorite toy? His new house with shapes on the roof and anything that isn't a toy. Maddox loves blinds, remotes, phones, trashcans, toilets, cords, and the piano.
3. What is your favorite fruit? Watermelon
4. What is your favorite tv show? Dora La Exploradora
5. What is your favorite movie? Toy Story
6. What is your favorite thing to wear? Nothing! Maddox loves being naked.
7. What is your favorite animal? Dog, Maddox loves Cuni and loves his talking puppy (stuffed animal).
8. What is your favorite song? Any song with a beat... Maddox loves to dance!
9. What is your favorite book? Baby Animals and This Little Piggy
10. Who is your best friend? Mommy (or at least I like to think so)
11. What is your favorite snack? Veggie Straws
12. What is your favorite drink? Juice
13. What is your favorite breakfast? Yogurt and blueberry waffle
14. What is your favorite lunch? Hotdogs and watermelon
15. What is your favorite dinner? Pasta
16. What is your favorite game? this little piggy, dancing with Mommy, playing with Daddy
17. What is your favorite thing to play outside? swimming
18. What is your favorite holiday? N/A
19. What do you sleep with at night? His green blankie and his pacifier
20. What do you want to be when you grow up? I would say a lifeguard. Maddox loves to swim and loves the water. He also is very compassionate and affectionate and incredibly strong.

1 year old birthday

Maddox is one and officially walking.  He decided he'd rather walk than crawl on his birthday.  He is already a really good walker.  He had his doctor appointment on his birthday as well and had 3 shots.  I felt so bad for him.  He hates the doctor's office now because he can remember and recognize it as the place they poke him and make him cry.  Maddox is such a good boy though and only cried for a minute.  On Wednesday, his birthday, I made his favorite food for dinner- pasta and I made a strawberry shortcake since he loves strawberries.  It was just the 3 of us and was the perfect family birthday dinner.  Saturday, we had people over and swam and barbecued.   I made a giraffe cake that was shaped like the number one and it turned out pretty cute.  We had some of our good friends over, some families from our ward, and Becky and her family.  Maddox got some really cute clothes and fun toys even though I told everyone not to bring gifts.  It was really fun though and everyone adores Maddox.  I can't believe he is already one.  The time has flown by. 

Maddox is getting very picky and will now only eat peaches, watermelon and strawberries.  He used to like all sorts of fruit and I could just give him fruit cocktail.  So everyday he eats the same thing.  Yogurt and a waffle for breakfast, hot dog and peaches for lunch, and pasta for dinner.  I try to throw in more fruit and sometimes a baby food whenever I can just so that I feel like he's getting some kind of nutrition.  But he is still breastfeeding which makes me feel a little better about his eating habits.  Maddox has become more obedient lately.  He understands what "no" means and when I say it, he usually will stop and move on to something else.  I think he knows that if he doesn't listen, I will physically remove him from whatever he's doing anyway so he might as well do it.  He has been sleeping really well.  However, when he has had a busy day with friends or swimming, Maddox will wake up crying a couple times during the night but go right back to sleep.  I have to admit that I anticipate him waking up every morning to nurse and come into our bed.  I just miss him and I love nursing him in bed and sleeping next to him.  He is so wiggly and active now that when he's awake, he's never still.  So when he's asleep and nursing, we snuggle and I love it.  Maddox loves watching videos of himself and seeing pictures of himself.  I don't know if it's because he likes babies or if it's because he knows it's him.  Maddox also loves mirrors and still loves to read books.

We have been so blessed to have Maddox in our lives.  Allan and I always say that we didn't really know true happiness until we became parents.  I am so grateful for him and the person that he is becoming.  I am starting to see him develop into a little boy and although it's difficult and sad for me, it's also extremely exciting watching him progress and learn.  He is a sweet, loving, obedient and affectionate little boy.  He is shy and will often put his head down and his hands in his mouth when someone is looking at him or talking to him.  But he will always smile.  He is friendly and loves babies and other little kids.  I have had the best year of my life and I know it only gets better.    

Photo Shoot as a 1 year old

Grateful

Wednesday marks the one year anniversary of the birth of our little boy.  As the day approaches, I am overwhelmed with gratitude.  I feel so honored that I was chosen to be Maddox's mother.  I feel thankful for every moment I have spent with him.  There have been many precious moments when I have observed him enthralled with a book, turning the pages quietly.  Or when our eyes have met for several minutes while I nursed him or rocked him to sleep.  Although he can't understand my words yet, I hope my love for him is loud and clear.  I hope that when he feels my heart beat, he knows that it is filled with love for him.

Maddox is walking... a little bit.  He can walk but he chooses not to.  It's actually a little frustrating because I keep trying to help him by standing him up and then walking away, calling him to walk to me.  But he plops down immediately and crawls to me.  I think he's a little on the lazy side.  Plus, he is one fast crawler.  It's actually amazing watching him crawl across the room oftentimes faster than I can walk.  He usually just walks around the house using the walls and furniture as support so crawling is his last resort.  I'm sure eventually he will trust himself enough to let go.  Maddox still loves pasta and fruit and he still loves books.  He has been obsessed with the toilet recently which really grosses me out.  He has stuck his hand into the water a couple of times because he knows how to lift the toilet seat up.  I have been trying to keep him out of the bathrooms but it's hard when I need to do my hair or brush my teeth.  If I lock him out, he just pounds on the door and cries until I let him in.  I usually solve the problem by not doing my hair.  It's amazing how having a kid forces you to prioritize and figure out what things are truly necessary.  I've discovered that a shower and brushing my teeth are about all I get.  Maddox is still doing well at nights.  He wasn't feeling well and had a fever a couple nights ago and woke up several times.  But other than that, he has been sleeping until about 5 or 6 in the morning.  It's been really nice.  Maddox loves his daddy.  Allan always seems to get him to laugh uncontrollably.  It's the cutest thing watching them play.  And of course, Maddox says "dada" all the time.  I think he really knows what it means too.  He says "mama" too and he knows what that means but he only says it when he's crying.  Right now, Daddy is the "fun" parent and I'm the one that provides the food and comfort.  It's ok though.  I don't mind.  I'm so thankful for our little family.  And this week, I'm especially grateful for this past year of our lives.